More about commandline options.

Overview program; main menu.

Menu: File.

Open.

• Select a directory:
  • Double click on a directory name in the left list
  • Or change the directory name in the 'Directory' entry part. Every time you type a dir. separator ('/' or '\') the directory list will be evaluated and the file list in the right list is updated
• Select a file:
  • Double click on a file name in the right list
  • Or select a file (1 click) and then click 'OK'

• To restrict the amount of listed items:
  • Change 'Filter D' to restrict the amount of listed directories
  • Change 'Filter F' to restrict the amount of listed files

Delete a file: Select a file, then press 'Delete file'.

Close.

Save as.

File types supported:

• HRPT (dedicated format)
• HRI (dedicated format)
• PGM (standard monochrome format)
• PPM (standard 3-color format)
• GIF (compressed lossless format)

Sat info.

Load Kepler.

• Select the desired NORAD 2-lines Kepler-file.

• Select the derired satellite.
• Check the "Diff start & Kepler ref. time" to see that the Kepler data is not too old.
  The shown number is the difference between record time and reference time of the selected satellite, in days.

Quit.

Menu: Edit.

Menu: File header.

• Satellite name:
  • Search frame info Search reliable frame header
  • Use it copy the found satellite name
  • Edit name Change satellite name if needed
• Scan direction:
  • Select satellite pass direction: nort->south or south->north
• Save: Save the changed items into the file.

Kepler.

• Extract:Extract start-time from satellite data.
  • Click on Search time. The fields below show which line is used and the satellite name. Click again on Search time if derived time seems unreliable.
  • Click on Use time to load/use the extracted time.
• Select:Choose which time to use: the computer-time or the time transmitted by the satellite. (Note: In the last case the year is derived from the computer time!)
• Redraw: Show the new grid ("grid" should be activated).
• Undo: get previous settings.
• Reload: reload orbit/kepler settings from the HRPT file.
• Save: save the new settings (times and Kepler elements) into the HRPT-file.
• Exit: exit the window; settings will be kept.
• Cancel: exit the window; settings will be lost (except if saved into the file).

Preferences.

The wsat.ini file is searched for in the following directories, in this order:

• multi-user O.S. (Linux/Unix):
  1. Start-up directory (for special settings)
  2. Home directory (for user specific settings)
  3. Program location directory (for default settings)

• single-user O.S. (Windows):
  1. Start-up directory (for special settings)
  2. Top-directory of current disk (e.g. C:\, D:\ etc.) (for more common settings)
  3. Program location directory (for default settings)

After changing items:

• Press Use to make changes effective
• Press Save to save changes in the wsat.ini file

• Window position:
  • Default: Position of each window is determined by Window manager
  • Smart: Position of each window is such that windows don't overlap, or overlap is minimal. Main window is placed in upper left corner.
• Main window size:
  • Width and height of window at start-up. Note that by pressing 'm' on keyboard the window size can easily be toggled between full screen and original size.

Decoder interface

• USB selection:
  • Connect decoder via USB interface.
  • Click on "Search FTD devices".
  • If more than 1 FTD devices are found:
    • Select "Use this", and add USB ID. (In this case: A6009Ic)
  • Click "Use" and "Save".
• Parallel port selection:
  • Choose port 1 or port 2.
  • Select 'Fast parport access if all 10 CHRPT channels needs to be recorded.
    NOTE: "Fast parport access" needs a change in hardware: the 'Readyn' signal has to be delayed. This mode will not always work properly. The delay of readyn needs to be more than the delay of the slowest data pin; if this delay is too big the par. port will be too slow to record all 10 CHRPT channels.
    If just HRPT, HRI or max. 8 channels of CHRPT needs to be recorded then don't select this mode.

• Select hardware:
  • decoder/genrator: Selecting decoder/generator will automagically also switch the hardware between decoder and generator mode.
    • Switch SM is not needed (remove or leave open).
    • The decoder type (HRPT/CHRPT/HRI) has to be selected by means of switches on the hardware (SD and SX).
  • decoder type: Selecting HRPT/CHRPT/HRI will automagically also switch the hardware between HRPT and CHRPT or HRPT and HRI.
    • Choosing between decoder and generator has to be done using a switch on the hardware (SM).
    • Also, the HRPT/HRI pair or HRPT/CHRPT pair has to be selected by means of a hardware switch (SX).
    • Switch SD is not needed (remove or leave open).
    
    NOTE: This mode needs a small change in the hardware: D9 needs to be connected to R12 instead of to R11.

Working directory and Kepler files

• Working directory:
  • Directory to which recorded files are written.
    This is also the directory activated after selecting 'File Open'.
• Kepler file: File and place of this file used to load Kepler data after recording.
  • Directory in which to search for NORAD2 Kepler files.
  • Name of Kepler file to open.

Record related settings

• HRPT Record times:
  • Start after: #frames while decoder is in-sync after which recording is started. (6 frames = 1 second.)
  • Stop after: #frames while decoder is out-sync after which recording is aborted. (90 frames = 15 seconds.)
• HRPT filenames:
  • base name: Base name of the file.
  • Extension: File name extension.
  These names are used to generate unique filenames:
  • {basename}{number}{extension}
    In this example the generated filenames would be:
  • hrpt01.dat
  • hrpt02.dat
  • etc.
• HRI Record times: See HRPT Record times. Except: #frames per second is 57.
• HRI filenames: See HRI filenames.

Algorithmic

• Define linearize on or off at start-up
• Define fixed-zooming factor for:
  • short-key 'i' and 'o'
  • ctrl-key in combination with mouse
• Define speckle-limits for despeckling: A speckle is detected if (in shown example):
  • Sur. U-limit: value difference between surrounding pixels < 20
  • Pix. L-limit: value difference between surrounding pixel and examined pixel > 10

  U
L P R
  B

Colors and fonts.

• Font size: Size of fonts of all windows/menus/buttons etc. Default: 120.
• Grid color: Define the color of:
  • HRPT grid (longitudes/lattitudes)
  • HRI grid (land markings as transmitted by Meteosat)

Menu: View.

Menu: Zoom

Menu: Luminance threshold.

Menu: Record.

HRPT

HRI

Raw

This option is ment for MSG, but can also be used to put raw HRI or HRPT data on disk. With HRPT just the 8 MSB's are recorded (2 LSB's are lost), and channel selection has to be done using the HRPT recording window or with switches on the hardware. (If there is a need to record all 10 bits in raw format let me know.)

The picture on screen during record shows 2048 pixels per line. HRPT and HRI are not shown correctly; MSG recording will (should) show a vertical structure in 8 of the 2048 pixels per line.

Menu: Channel.

Menu: Help.

Program info

Test parallel port

• If (C)HRPT is choosen: Select channel(s) using the HRPT Record window.
• Pre time: Determines how many pre-read cycles are done before data is actually catched.
  • A small number will catch data nearly immediately; because decoder-buffer is full, data transfer will go fast (waves look like 'HF').
  • A big number (1000000) will first empty the decoder-buffer and then catch data. Data looks mostly 'LF'; data speed is limited by actual 'satellite' data speed.
• Click on '1x Read' to catch data from par. port.
• Zoom time: Zoom in/out
• Offset time: Shift waves.
• Cont. Read: Continuous data read, waves are refreshed all the time.
  To stop: Click 1again on 'Cont. Read', or click on '1x Read'. (Note: If 'pre-time' has a very high number, and if data is read a long time, then it can take some time before reading is stopped. Click on '1x Read' and wait.

This image shows the result of waveforms with HRPT generator, channel 1 selected. This channel is a black-to-white image; data is:

0000000000
0000000001
0000000010
0000000011
0000000100
0000000101
0000000110
0000000111
0000001000
...
1111111110
1111111111

• The Frame pulses mark the start of a new frame.
• 'Sync' is high (generator is always "in-sync")
• Readyn: This wave is not very reliably shown; it should be a pulse at every new word coming in. A bigger value for 'Pre time' and zooming in 100x or so will give a more realistic waveform for this signal.